LANGLEy] removal of remains of JAMES SMITHSON 245 



that the Secretary be requested to arrange either with the English 

 Church or with the authorities of the National Burying Ground at 

 Genoa for the re-interment of Smithson's remains, and the transfer 

 of the original monument. 



At a meeting of the Regents held on the 226. of January, 1902, 

 the Secretary recalled to the Board the resolution adopted at its 

 previous meeting, and stated that the wishes of the Board with 

 regard to the removal of the remains of Smithson had been com- 

 municated to Mr. E. A. Le Mesurier, one of the ofiicers of the 

 English Church at Genoa, who, under date of December 2^, 1901, 

 had replied in part as follows : 



You are aware that our hope is eventually to obtain for our 

 countrymen a separate burying-place which by an easy, and I may 

 say obvious, arrangement might be made to give shelter not merely 

 to British subjects but to American also. I regret to say, however, 

 that I see no chance for the present of this most desirable consum- 

 mation, as the authorities (apparently in consequence of the diffi- 

 culty of finding an alternative site) have withdrawn their offer of 

 providing us with a fresh cemetery if we allowed them to transfer 

 at once all remains from San Benigno, where your Founder rests. 

 The present policy of the authorities is presumably to let things 

 remain as they are until the time comes (three years or so hence) 

 when the Law of Public Utility will strengthen their hands as to 

 taking possession of the San Benigno ground, of course under the 

 obligation of transporting the remains elsewhere, which would in all 

 probability mean a portion of the general Protestant cemetery and 

 not a separate place of interment. When the time for the transfer 

 approaches, it will be obviously expedient to apply to the British 

 Ambassador at Rome (backed up, as we are confident will be the 

 case, by the friendly offices of the Representative of the United 

 States) to put the case before the Italian Government, so that the 

 local authorities may be enjoined to carry out the process with all 

 due reverence, and if possible (as it ought to be possible) to a 

 especially reserved new Cemetery. Our Consul is most fully alive 

 to the importance of diplomatic support and will take the initiative in 

 due course. 



Doctor A. Graham Bell, a member of the Board, took occasion 

 to reiterate the strong feeling expressed by him at the preceding 

 meeting of the Regents, that the remains of Smithson should be 

 brought to this country. 



At the regular meeting of the Regents held on December 8, 1903, 

 the Secretary read the following letter from the United States 

 Consul at Genoa, and that from the Committee of the British Burial 

 Ground Fund in Genoa : 



